The Old Folks Festival

I went to the Folk Festival with someone who likes to make fun of it. He jokes about the ageing hippies and their tofu specials and their tie-dyed hemp clothing and political slogans, and the fact that the coffee lineup is longer than the beer lineup and the smokers go for off-site strolls so nobody will know they smoke. (This guy here is the exception that proves the rule, but we wondered if he somehow ended up at the folk festival instead of the demolition derby.)

It’s kind of hard to participate in something while simultaneously mocking it, but I did my best. I just happen to be a fan of Ray Bonneville, Kris Kristofferson, Karen Savoca and Eliza Gilkyson, so the lineup was practically tailor-made for me.

My friend was appalled at Kristofferson’s lack of vocal range and guitar skills.

“If his name wasn’t Kris Kristofferson, do you think all these people would be freezing their asses off to listen to him?” he chuckled, “He’s just not that good.”

He had a point – it was very cold out. Unseasonably and unreasonably cold. And Kris sounded okay but not great. But he’s still Kris Kristofferson, he still looks good, and I still love him. It was worth it just to see his long black coat-tails blowing in the wind.

Karen Savoca’s got great lyrics and the sweetest bluesy voice and rhythms around, even though her husband looks a little goofy when he’s playing guitar with his eyes closed and his mouth doing that thing that it does. (And because I love them, I did not take a picture of him with his eyes closed and his mouth doing that thing.)

Ray Bonneville is a one-man band with his guitar, harmonica, voice, and beat-keeping feet.

My biggest disappointment of the festival was I kept missing Eliza G. I wanted to catch all four of her performances and I missed them all.

Not everybody looked like they were totally into the musical experience. A few people even looked a little bored. Fortunately there were plenty of things to do at the Folk Festival if you didn’t feel like listening to music.

You could have a little nap.

You could build a fire to warm yourself up.

You could shop for new clothes.

You could read the newspaper.

You could talk to old friends.

Or meet new ones.

You could even create art:

This is my friend Art II. Seriously, that’s his name. Art II. His last name is pronouced Too. He’s a talented artist and musician as well as just a guy who hangs out at Irene’s Pub. His role at the Folk Festival this year was to engage the folks in some participatory art on this wall. And it worked because this is my friend Carole engaging in some participatory art on Art’s wall.

Anyway, I think that’s it for the 2007 festivals. It’s hard to believe summer’s coming to an end already, but this morning I saw the biggest, noisiest flock of migratory geese flying low over my house. I think it’s time to start psychologically preparing ourselves for the inevitable.